DeLong's New Song?

I'm pleased to see that Brad DeLong has endorsed the general principles of the President's (still indeterminate) plan for social security reform. DeLong is worried that the President's proposal will turn into some kind of monstrosity, given Bush's record, which is fair enough. It seems that DeLong is basically saying that he would endorse something like personal accounts if only it was proposed by a Democratic president. If he is saying that, it's pretty interesting, given the heated vehemence of his prior attacks on personal accounts and their advocates.

On average, the real incomes of middle- class families have grown twice as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans, while the real incomes of working poor families have grown six times as fast under Democrats as they have under Republicans. These substantial partisan differences persist even after allowing for differences in economic circumstances and historical trends beyond the control of individual presidents

I do think economic stratification is pernicious, but that has more to do with the Democratic Party standing in the way of fundamental structural reform in education as it has to do with Republican tax cuts for rich people, doesn’t it?

This is why I like politics not for the elections or the party affiliations or the personalities. Just good old fashuioned debate. Oh and before any of the naysayers mention that you can have a debate on anything and anywhere. One need only look at the front pages of the red-tops to know that’s not true.